Ofcom opens probe after Brits pay for calls they say they never made.

A new mobile phone scam is hitting British customers who are increasingly complaining about receiving calls from 0845 and 0843 numbers that last a fraction of a second. Their phones appear to then automatically call the number back, resulting in hefty bills.

UK telecommunications watchdog Ofcom has launched an investigation into the scam.

"We are very concerned to hear of a number of people receiving mobile charges they didn’t expect," an Ofcom spokesperson told Ars. "Ofcom is working with the mobile operators, industry experts, and partner regulators to establish the causes and address the problem."

The alleged victims of the scam didn't always notice the call, according to a Mail Online report. They were listed on their phones as missed calls. However, their next bill would show that the phone had made a return call lasting anywhere from three to 12 hours on the line—which racked up charges of between £90 to £375.

One victim's mobile account was apparently blocked by Vodafone due to an unusually high spend.

Further Reading

EE, O2, and Vodafone customers had reportedly been victims of the alleged scam. The operators, we're told, initially demanded the affected customers to pay up, insisting that they did make the calls in question. However, EE, O2, and Vodafone have apparently now refunded those payments.

"We are pleased that Vodafone is blocking suspicious numbers and refunding affected customers," an Ofcom spokesperson said. "We advise those who believe they are affected to contact their phone company promptly."

Vodafone told the Mail Online that it had blocked the numbers involved in the scam, and claimed that its systems hadn't been "compromised or breached."

Andrii Degeler
Andrii is a contributing reporter at Ars Technica UK, covering a wide range of topics from policy to hardware and crowdfunding. He holds a master's degree in Journalism from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Emailandrii@proceed.to//Twitter@adegeler